More than a third of Taiwanese suffering from asthma do not take any kind of medication, a survey conducted by the Bureau of Health Promotion showed.
The poll showed that 2.2 percent of the population -- or half a million Taiwanese -- had been diagnosed as asthmatic.
Moreover, 37.8 percent of those who were diagnosed by medical professionals as asthmatic never used any asthma medication, including inhalers, while 36 percent used medication occasionally. Only 26 percent took medication for asthma on a regular basis.
The bureau refrained from commenting on whether asthma sufferers were under-medicated, but called on patients to listen to their doctors and to avoid allergens that they might be sensitive to.
The Taiwan Association of Asthma Education, however, said that the nation's medication rate was low compared with the US and Europe, where 40 percent of asthma sufferers take regular medication.
Association president Hsu Shih-da (
"Many patients think it is enough to take a puff on the inhaler to alleviate symptoms," Hsu said, "but they do not take anti-inflammatories which help control asthma in the long term."
Asthma is an inflammatory disease triggered by allergens, Hsu said. Left untreated, the condition might deteriorate to the point where "airway remodelling" occurs and lung function is permanently impaired.
"If treatment begins before the child turns five, we can usually prevent irreversible lung damage from occurring. Through the age of 18, we still get great results with most patients," Hsu said. "In many cases they are able to go off medication."
The bureau's survey showed that dust mites were the No. 1 trigger for asthma sufferers of all ages in the country, with 41.1 percent of all asthmatics and 67 percent of kids with allergies under the age of 12 citing the tiny pest as a trigger for asthmatic episodes.
Hsu said spring mattresses were literally a hotbed, providing food and shelter for the mites.
"I sleep on a wooden bed myself," Hsu said. "Those who sleep on a spring mattress should consider using a mite-proof cover."
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over
RSS